A history of Eastern Europe 1918 to the present: modernisation, ideology and nationality

Ian D. Armour’s book sets out to give an overview of the tumultuous history of Eastern Europe from the end of the First World War to the present. Centring on the key themes of problems of modernization, ideological trends and experiments, as well as questions of nationality and nationalism, it is written as a textbook for students, intending to summarize what the author considers to be the main themes of the region’s history. Students will find it to provide largely consistent – though sometimes not unproblematic, as will be discussed later – narratives about these themes. Written in an engaging and accessible style, the author often does an excellent job of bringing together key shared aspects in various countries’ developments, thereby highlighting common themes, problems and responses. While readers, especially those not already familiar with the region, would have benefitted from a glossary, and possibly short biographies of some of the key actors in the book, the systematic bibliography on the various themes will be a highly valuable resource for students who wish to dive deeper into the book’s manifold topics.